RumorsAboutThe'iPhonemini'ContinueAsNewWeekBegins

Add Topeka Capital to the growing list of analysts that expect Apple to release a lower-priced iPhone later this year. According to Brian White, this could happen as early as June, according to AppleInsider.
Possibly called the “iPhone mini” or “iPhone Air,” Apple’s new handset would likely be priced between $250 and $300. This is 58 percent below the $649 price point for an unlocked 16GB iPhone 5.
At this price, White expects Apple to make significant inroads in developing markets such as China, Brazil, Russia, and India, where “growth potential stands at its highest.”
To make the iPhone mini less expensive that the company’s flagship smartphone, Apple is likely to adopt a “most cost affordable display, case, memory, wireless, camera and processor.”
Says White:

The case would be an interesting area of cost savings with a lower priced material (e.g., plastic) versus the aluminum unibody casing on the iPhone 5, while adding colors to excite consumers.

Earlier this month, rumors surfaced that test iPhone 5S and iPhone 6 units were already being spotted at Apple's suppliers.
The one big unknown at this point is what devices Apple would launch in 2013. Over the course of the last few weeks, we've heard a lot about three separate iPhones.
The first is what one would traditionally think of as the iPhone 5's likely successor. The second is the less expensive model, as mentioned in this report. Finally, there is the so-called "iPhone Plus," which would be larger in size than the existing model.
Most likely, Apple would announce two of these three units in June, with the other coming later this year or in early 2014. Current rumors suggest that it will be the iPhone Plus that won't debut with the others.
As usual, we'll keep you updated. Stay tuned.
Source: AppleInsider
Photo: Mockup of iPhone Plus by Marco.org